More ferry trips: Washington State Ferries is restoring service to pre-pandemic levels on some ferry routes.
Heroes: Some postal workers in Washington are defying orders and restoring sorting machines to operational use.
Altering ecosystems: According to researchers at the University of Washington, racism and redlining has also hurt wildlife.
Conflicting choices: In California’s Colorado Desert, there is a struggle over renewable energy and endangered desert species and lands ($).
Revolving door: A historic property in Flushing, New York City has been mired in development proposal failures for more than 30 years and the latest may finally move ahead.
Go green: David Roberts from Vox explains how much worse pollution is than we thought and how ditching fossil fuels could be an economic boon.
Re-closures: What impacts are re-closures on businesses having on real estate?
Big payoff: A new study suggests that increasing e-bike adoption by 15% could reduce carbon emissions by 12% in Portland.
Active commutes: Many more government workers and planners hope to use an active transportation commute when things return to normal, according to a new report.
Polluter-in-Chief: The Trump administration has finalized a plan to auction off rights to drill within the heart of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge ($).
Busway delays: New York City is struggling to launch new busways due to local opposition.
Apartment construction slowdown?: In Denver, apartment construction was already slowing down in 2020 without the pandemic and is expected to drop by half; other major cities are slowdowns, too.
Missing middle: A large urban county in Virginia, Arlington, is researching the scope of existing missing middle housing in the county and its racial implications.
Off-road: Oregon’s state transportation department has a new grant program for off-road pedestrian and bike infrastructure.
Investors’ market: In Vancouver, British Columbia, major investors are going all in on the rental market, a trend occurring elsewhere in Canada.
Hard right turn: Angie Schmitt documents when America’s transportation department abandoned people who walk.
County assistance: King County is providing $41 million for rental assistance to stop evictions.
Essential workers: Data shows that nearly two-thirds of women are essential workers ($) in Puget Sound.
ACUs: Strong Towns highlights how “accessory commercial units” could benefit local neighborhoods with better access to small businesses.
Safe restart: The Seattle Public Library is reopening in a limited fashion for patrons.
Stephen is an urban planner with a passion for sustainable, livable, and diverse cities. He is especially interested in how policies, regulations, and programs can promote positive outcomes for communities. Stephen lives in Kenmore and primarily covers land use and transportation issues for The Urbanist.